My December goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes was to complete the quilt top for a quilt I started a few years back, Pie in the Sky, by Kim Diehl, from her book, Simple Graces.
I am happy to report it is done!! 48 pieced blocks and 651 two-and-a-half-inch squares and -- voila! -- you have a quilt top. I pieced the squares into groups of four, sewed 56 of them into groups of eight, for the final border, and went to my friend Pauline's house to use her floor to do the final layout. (My design wall holds the finished product but isn't big enough when you include the seam allowances. And when I try to use my floor, my cat seems to want to help.)
Here is the finished quilt top......
After we had all the pieces on the floor and were looking to see whether the fabrics were mixed well, I made the comment, "Isn't it funny how the block changes just by the placement of lights and darks?" I then pointed to two different blocks. Pauline's answer was, "They are two different blocks." Indeed they were.
This is the way the pattern suggests making the block.......
And this is my interpretation of the block.......
So there are 12 of the correctly pieced blocks and 36 of the alternate blocks. When I picked up the project to finish it, I unknowingly made the slight adjustment to the pattern but was then consistent to the end. I have convinced myself it adds character to the quilt. Just like your eye travels to some of the fabrics in the quilt, your eye also travels between the two different versions of the blocks.
Pauline, this one is for you, as soon as I pick a backing and get it quilted and bound!
I hope everyone has a fantastic 2014! I will be back for the Lovely Year of Finishes, 2014 version. It is so helpful to publicly set a goal each month. Thanks to Melissa of Sew Bittersweet Designs and Shanna of Fiber of All Sorts for hosting this finishing party! I came to the party late in 2013, joining in November and finishing November and December, but for 2014 I plan on a full 12 finishes.
